Rugs 101

Rug Care & Maintenance

Just like everything else today, rugs need special care to prolong their beauty and provide years of use. Regular cleaning and adequate treatments will help extend the life of your rug.

KAS recommends only the use of Woolite as a mild detergent for the cleaning of all rugs. The cleaning process should involve applying the Woolite with a soft bristle brush, rinsing lightly with water (not saturated), extracting with a vacuum, and the rug should then be dried by air or a low-temperature hair dryer.

Rug Care & Maintenance

INITIAL CARE

Vacuum both the top and bottom sides of your rug. Use a rug pad specific to the type of surface on which you will be placing your rug. This will help protect your floor or wall-to-wall carpeting and will extend the life of your rug.

DAILY/WEEKLY

Vacuum the top side. Handmade rugs will have some natural shedding of excess fibers. (or AS NEEDED) Carved rugs will have more excess fibers. DO NOT use a beater bar vacuum. Set the head of the vacuum at the highest setting so you will not be ‘pulling’ out any fibers. Blot spills and stains immediately.

ANNUALLY

Vacuum both top and bottom sides of your rug. Rotate rugs to ensure even wear and prevent fading. Replace worn rug pads.

LONG-TERM

Professionally clean a good quality rug every 3-5 years. Hot water extraction machines are NOT recommended.

Rug-Specific Care

HAND-KNOTTED

Vacuum on a regular basis with the pile level set on high. Be careful not to let the vacuum ‘eat’ the fringes.

TUFTED

Vacuum on a regular basis with the pile level set on high.

HOOKED

Vacuum regularly with an upholstery attachment. DO NOT use a rotary vacuum with a beater bar. If long ends appear above the top edge of the rug, DO NOT pull them. This is not a defect and is called ‘sprouting’. It is a common occurrence with hand-hooked rugs. Use scissors to carefully cut the sprouted ends to be even with the rest of the rug.

BAMBOO

Blot spills immediately. Wipe with a damp cloth. Do not saturate with water as it may damage the backing.

JUTE & SISAL

For indoor use only. Keep away from excessive moisture. Blot spills immediately using a clean towel until most of the moisture is absorbed. Do not steam clean or use any method of cleaning that involved water saturation. Professional cleaning only.

Indoor-Outdoor Rugs

Indoor-Outdoor rugs should be cared and cleaned for as indoor rugs when placed indoors. When placed outdoors, they can be hosed off and dried flat. They should not be left in standing water.

Shag Rugs

Shag rugs have long yarns so they should only be vacuumed with a hand attachment. Spills should be immediately blotted, cleaned and dried thoroughly. Moisture will cause shag rugs to attract dirt and matte.

Stain/Damage Cleaning

FLOOD DAMAGE

First blot excess water. Lay flat and then dry by air using a fan or low temperature hair dryer. Vacuum. Professionally clean good quality rugs.

SPILLS

First blot excess liquid. Clean with a white cloth using a dry cleaning fluid or a simple solution of 1 Tsp. mild detergent such as Woolite, 1 Tsp. white vinegar and 1 Quart warm water. Extract excess liquid with a wet/dry vacuum.

STAINS

Since different stains require different cleaning treatments, it is important to identify the cause and nature of the stain. Below is a list of common stains and how they are best removed. Always test your cleaning solution on a portion of the rug not seen.

How To Choose A Rug

Why Rugs?

Rug is a piece of art on the floor and becomes the visual point in a room.

Adds life to solid furniture & Adds warmth in a hard surface room.

Can create an additional sound barrier

Protects furniture and flooring. (Always use a rug pad under a rug).

Why Color and Design Are Important

A Rug often sets the tone and is the focal point of a room. An incredible add-on sale as it completes the “look”.

Color and design fit personality and style. There is also seasonality.

Frame Your Bed When laying down an area rug in your bedroom, it should extend 36″ or so all around the bed. Alternatively, it could extend just on the sides, leaving the foot of the bed directly on the floor.

Another option is to angle the bed on the rug to accommodate a smaller rug space. Standard sizes: 8′ x 10′ (queen), 9′ x 12′ (king). Runners are also a good idea and can be used on either side and/or at the foot of the bed.

Remember larger rugs give the illusion of a bigger room, whereas a smaller rug in a large room will get lost.

Pricing

Hand Knotted Rugs are most expensive. This is where “one of a kind” and antiques are found.

Rugs with added textures, space dying, finer wools, special washing, etc. will all add to the price.

Silk is the most expensive fiber used, followed by wool. Synthetics are often the least expensive.

Right Fiber for Area

Determine how the product will be used.

Don’t forget that Indoor/Outdoor products can also be used inside and are perfect for busy families/kitchen areas/ etc. as they are easy to clean.

High Traffic areas require different fibers/constructions than less traffic areas. Also keep in mind textures, colors etc. Many rugs must be professionally cleaned.

Although Wool extremely durable, if allergies exist, a synthetic fiber may be a better option.

Types of Constructions

Hand-Knotted

The most expensive & oldest form of rug construction, Hand knotted rugs are made on a specially designed loom and are knotted by hand. The making of hand knotted rugs is a very ancient art that deserves a lot of admiration! The size of the loom depends on the size of the rug and the weaving is done from the bottom to the top. The rug weaver inserts the “knots” into the foundation of the rug and they are tied by hand, this makes up the “pile” of the rug. You can see these “knots” by turning over the rug.

Hand-Tufted / Hand-Hooked

These are the most popular constructions used today and are more reasonably priced than hand-knot. Hand tufted rugs are a type of rug that is considered handmade or hand-crafted. Tufted rugs are made using a modified hand held drill gun that inserts the pile into a cloth foundation which creates a loop pile. If the loop pile is sheared, it then becomes a cut pile. The loop pile rug, if not sheared, is called a Hand-Hooked rug. These rugs have a handmade look but they cost much less because using the gun speeds up the process dramatically. A latex coating is then applied to the back of the rug to hold the “tufts” in place. A canvas type fabric is then applied over the latex coating to finish the back of the rug.

Flatweaves

Flatweaves are another category of handmade rugs. These rugs are hand-woven in a flat weave pattern and there is no pile. There is virtually no height to the rug. Soumak, Dhurrie, Kilim and Braided are all types of flatweave rugs. With a flatweave, you will definitely want to put a rug pad under it to help it stay in place and provide a little more cushion to the rug. Natural fibers, wool, and cotton, all make good materials for flatweave rugs. Playa, Natura, Bahama, and Horizon (Indoor/Outdoor) are good examples of KAS’ flat weave collections.

Power-Loomed / Machine-Woven

Machine-made rugs are made by large machines called power looms. A power loom is electrically automated and controlled by computers. Machine-made rugs can be made quickly and are manufactured with materials including wool and synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon, polyester, acrylic and art silk. Machine-made rugs lack the flexibility of a handmade rug in that pre-determined patterns and colors are used and others cannot be added in process. There are two types of looms used to create three different categories of Oriental reproductions: Wilton, Cross-woven Wilton, and Axminster. Each of these can be designed to achieve various pile heights, densities, finishes and qualities.

Shags

Shag rugs are one of the more popular trends today. They are fun and easy to decorate with. Shag rugs can be handmade or machine made using a variety of constructions. The distinctive feature of this quality is the longer length of the fibers. The fibers may be fine and silky or thick and soft.

Types of Fibers used in Rugs

NATURAL FIBERS

Wool

Wool is a versatile fiber that dyes easily to create a limitless range of colors. Because of the natural scales on a wool fiber surface, light is diffused and provides a soft appearance with less shine. Wool is naturally resilient and elastic, thereby enabling it to retain a dense pile through the weight of furniture, traffic and other uses for area rugs. Wool is extremely durable and maintains a good appearance for longer periods. There are different grades of wool with New Zealand wool noted as one of the finest.

Cotton

Cotton is available in many colors, provides softness and fits well into casual homes.

BLENDED YARNS

Any of the above natural and synthetic fibers may be blended. Synthetic fibers such as olefin and nylon are petroleum products, while rayon – a man-made alternative to silk – is synthesized from cellulose found in trees. Animal-derived natural fibers include wool spun from sheep, goats, llama and alpaca. Plants produce natural fibers such as sea grass, jute, flax and cotton.

SYNTHETIC FIBERS

Nylon

Nylon is manufactured in an unlimited variety of colors, resists soil and is easily cleaned. The resilient nature of nylon withstands the weight of furniture and heavy traffic. Nylon is very strong, abrasion-resistant and elastic. While nylon can simulate the look and feel of wool, its lustrous quality will create a relatively shiny appearance in area rugs.

Olefin / Polypropylene

Olefin is the predominant machine-woven synthetic fiber. Olefin has a soft wool-like feel, but resists wear and stains while being colorfast, strong and affordable.

Polyester

Polyester provides softness when constructed into thick, cut pile textures for area rugs and durability in furniture fabrics.

Acrylic

Acrylic can be blended with other fibers to provide the look of wool at a lower cost.